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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28474632">Winds of Fate</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mango_Moment/pseuds/Magnymagic'>Magnymagic (Mango_Moment)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Warhammer 40.000, 原神 | Genshin Impact (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon-Typical Violence, Extreme guessing on the author's part as to how GI's magic system works, Gen, Inter-universe travel, Jean has balls of absolute titanium, POV Alternating, Warhammer 40k lore is a clown car, again it depends on your fandom, no beta we die like Sanguinius, or diluc's dad, so if you're expecting canon-complicance you've come to the wrong circus, though I will be including some little obscure lore details in here because I'm Like That</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 14:34:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>17,889</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28474632</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mango_Moment/pseuds/Magnymagic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Fischl, Amber, Jean, and Barbara find themselves in a strange forest with no memory of how they got there. When they are captured by a strange army called The Thousand Sons, their leader Magnus promises to help them return home. As they settle into an uneasy alliance with the Primarch and his men, little do they know that trouble stirs on the horizon, trouble that will make things much more complicated...</p><p>Also this story is gonna contain a couple character-related spoilers for Genshin, but nothing about the main story.<br/>If you’re here from Genshin, welcome to my other current top fandom, please enjoy your stay! If you’re here from Warhammer, I’m sorry.*<br/>*I’m actually not</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Barbara &amp; Jean (Genshin Impact)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>55</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Arrival</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Since inter-universe travel is canon in genshin and who the fuck knows what the warp is capable of that means this is basically canon-compliant right? (wrong)<br/>This is the revised edition! When I reread it I realized the first pass at this Sucked A Whole Lot so I decided to put it back in the oven for a bit.<br/>(also hi Incorrect-Primarchs-Quotes, you gave me quite the shock! (/lh) :) )</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Fischl awoke with a groan, someone was calling her name</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I will return to the waking world within a moment,” she mumbled “my body… aches for the sweet oblivion of slumber, if only for an ephemeral moment…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No Fischl you don’t understand, we have to get up!” The voice continued, closer this time. Something grabbed her and started shaking her, and she flew upright.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The first thing she noticed was the dusky orange of the sky, streaked with grey clouds. Then the trees, long and spindly with no leaves at all, just black branches jutting towards the sky.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Have we been imprisoned within the oblivion of sleep for so long that the night is now almost upon us?” Fischl asked “but then again, this does not look like Teyvat’s sky.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have no idea,” replied the voice, which Fischl now recognized as Barbara. Looking over at the other girl, she saw an uncharacteristic look of worry on her face. “Can you help me wake Amber and the Acting Grandmaster?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their other companions were lying in the dark red grass not far from them, and Fischl walked over to Amber, gently shaking her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Outrider,” said Fischl “The Prinzessin demands that you arise at once.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fischl?” Amber sat up, rubbing her head “What happened, where’s Lumine?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The winds of fate seem to have borne us all to foreign shores,” replied Fischl “As for Lumine… who knows where fate has seen fit to drop her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see…” said Amber “Where’s everyone else?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fischl gestured behind her, where Barbara was helping Jean to her feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where is Lumine?” said Jean, still somewhat unsteady on her feet</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She isn’t here,” said Barbara “but she might be nearby, we should look for her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fischl,” said Jean, “Summon Oz and scout the area, if she’s here, we should find her before something else does.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fischl called forth Oz and the raven soared off into the sky, flying around the area in gradually wider circles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jean scanned the area, looking for any landmarks that would reveal their location. This didn’t look like any area of Monstadt she knew, let alone any area of Teyvat, but finding their location could come later. The first step was ensuring their survival. Barbara could use her magic to create drinkable water, so that was one need down. They had supplies from their journey, so they wouldn’t need to worry about food for a few days either. The only urgent thing at the moment was shelter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Does… anyone know where we are?” said Amber “This doesn’t seem like Teyvat…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is an ill-fated land, full of darkness and despair” Fischl said “blood soaks the world’s foundations to its core, dyeing even the grass.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You really think so?” squeaked Barbara</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do,” Fischl looked over at Barbara “I can feel it in the-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fischl, stop that!” scolded Amber, “It’s just a forest. Sure it’s a little creepy, but there’s nothing to be worried about.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The wind blew through the stark black trees, making them rustle. The dark red grass they stood in began to wave, making Jean think of blood, and she fought back a shudder. Wherever this place is, whatever this place is, she had to keep everyone together, she had to protect them all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had a feeling that whatever they found here, it would be stronger than any foe they’d faced before.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We ought to start looking for shelter,” she said “If we can’t find Lumine, then we have to assume that wherever she is, she’s not with us. We can continue looking for her once we have a relatively safe place to work from.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To the east, the land becomes jagged and broken,” said Fischl “Perhaps there is some hidden place there within which we can wrap ourselves within the cloak of darkness.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...you mean like a cave?” said Amber, staring blankly at Fischl</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...Yeah.” replied Fischl</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s worth a shot,” said Jean, “let’s go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The four hiked east, using Oz to scout the area. No matter how deep they went into the forest, they didn’t see any signs of fellow humans, only the strange animals that inhabited this forest. They walked by a herd of lanky six-legged white creatures, each standing about as tall as one of them. As they passed, the creatures’ oversized ears twitched, and they raised their rounded heads to watch them pass with featureless black eyes, but made no moves towards them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are they?” whispered Barbara as they passed</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I dunno,” said Amber, “but I think they’re just herbivores, so don’t worry about it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Regardless of her assurances, Amber kept an eye after them until they were long out of sight. A few minutes later, the sky began to darken, and peals of thunder began to ring out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of all the luck!” grumbled Amber “Why did it have to storm now!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fear not my loyal subjects, for our journey is almost at an end!” said Fischl “I have located the portal to our salvation!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good,” said Jean “let’s hurry and get under cover, before the storm hits.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The four started to run, in the vain hope that they might be able to get out of sight before the storm hit, but unfortunately the rain hit before they could get to the cliffs. Soaked to the bone and holding hands so they wouldn’t get separated in the thick rain, the four stumbled into the cave, wet, muddy and panting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fischl, do you think Oz would be able to see in this weather?” said Jean</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“With the power of the Immernachtreich, I can pierce even the deepest darkness” replied Fischl “You want me to keep hunting for our the soul of our lost companion?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And any other signs of human life” replied Jean</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It shall be done, Acting Grandmaster.” Fischl sat down against the wall of the cave, by the entrance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Amber,” said Jean “help me make a fire, we need to dry off.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amber and Jean went over to a flat area, grabbing some tinder and loose sticks that sat on the floor of the cave.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Barbara stared out into the rain from the cave entrance, sitting with her legs tight to her chest, resting her chin on her knees. It was lucky that they were all still together, at least. It could be worse. Fischl was an experienced adventurer, and her scouting abilities were second only to Amber. Jean was an excellent leader and a capable fighter. Amber’s comfort in the wilderness was second to none, and she was an excellent marksman. She could heal, and Jean could too if need be. They had enough supplies that food wouldn’t be an issue for a few days, and her magic could produce fresh water. They’ll be alright, right?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Barbara,” said Jean, and she looked over to see that the fire was now lit. The strange black wood seemed to burn as well as wood from back home, at least. “Come over here, we should focus on getting dry now that we’re out of the rain.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Barbara took up a spot by the fire, watching as Amber put more sticks into the fire. At least the wood here burned like the wood at home.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Acting Grandmaster,” said Barbara, “I think it might be a good idea to make some dinner.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a few long sticks and some rope the three managed to improvise a decently stable tripod to hang a pot from, and Jean started rummaging around in her bag for ingredients. At that moment Oz returned, the purple raven flying through the entrance of the cave to land on the floor. Fischl sat up with a groan, rubbing her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The darkness of the storm clouds my vision” she said grumpily “Even with the power of the Immernachtreich it is difficult to parse the world around us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You did your best,” said Jean gently “Come join us, we’re going to make dinner.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fischl joined the other three by the fire, as Jean began to pull ingredients from her bag.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We ought to use the stuff that will spoil first,” she said, taking out a jar of cream and some meat they had gathered when they left the city, both of which were surprisingly still fresh “who’s up for some cream stew?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The four set to work cooking. With the four of them working together, it wasn’t long before the smell of the cooking stew overtook the cave. As the stew cooked, the four chatted, taking turns stirring the pot so that it wouldn’t burn. By the end of the hour, the stew was complete, and Jean began dishing it into bowls.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We all did a great job!” chirped Amber, already digging in “This stew is amazing!’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Indeed,” said Fischl, “the blessing of companionship brings light into even the darkest of circumstances, I feel that even the void within my soul could be filled by this stew.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Barbara clasped her hands, bowing her head in prayer “Thank you, Anemo Archon, for watching over us and keeping us together, please continue to protect us as we journey home, and watch over Mondstadt in our absence.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jean prayed as well, but her prayer was silent. After both were done, they began to eat as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This might be the last decent meal we have for a while,” Jean said “everyone be sure to eat as much as you can.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think we’ll need the reminder,” giggled Amber “this is amazing!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You said it!” said Barbara cheerfully “This is the best cream stew I’ve had since-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was at that moment a low growl echoed through the cave, and Barbara shrieked in fright. Jean, Fischl, and Amber drew their weapons. A gigantic shaggy red beast with a huge maw stepped out of the darkness of the cave. It roared at the four women, and charged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get behind me, all three of you!” yelled Jean, running to meet the creature. She swung for the creature’s neck, but a powerful swipe of the creature’s paw caught her, sending her back into a wall with a sickening crunch, the creature diving after her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jean!” screamed Barbara, and Fischl and Amber unleashed their attack.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amber’s shot arced high, raining a hail of fire down onto the creature, before it could recover, Oz soared through the flames, delivering a crippling shock to the creature.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sickening smell of burnt flesh and hair filled the cave, causing Barbara to wince, blinking back tears.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did we kill it?” said Amber “Is it dead?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think we may have thrown it from this mortal coil,” replied Fischl</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Barbara ran past the two of them and the corpse of the beast, towards the crumpled form of Jean.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jean!” she choked “Jean! Are you okay? Say something!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mmmh” murmured Jean “Barbara? Is… everybody okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Everyone’s fine” replied Barbara “You’re the only one who got hurt.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, good.” replied Jean, attempting to push herself up but collapsing under her own weight with a grunt of pain</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t move on your own! Stop!” squealed Barbara “Let me help you up!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Barbara helped Jean to sit up, only to find Jean’s right arm swollen and red.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think your arm is broken…” said Barbara “Here, give me your cape.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She undid Jean’s cape, forming it into a makeshift sling for her arm. She hummed a short melody, and a blue glow lit up around the broken arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can numb the pain, but healing it will take longer,” Barbara said “Should I heal you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” said Jean, standing up shakily “We can’t stay here any longer, we don’t know if those things travel in packs. Fischl, keep scouting with Oz, look for another place we can rest.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What about the food?” said Barbara</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We have to leave it,” said Jean “it might attract more animals.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The four of them left the cave, hungry and shivering, walking back into the rainstorm. Once again they held hands to ensure no one would get lost. After about a half-hour, the rain began to let up, letting the dusky orange sky peek through once again. After about a full hour, Barbara stopped.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can we please rest a moment?” she said “I feel really tired…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright,” said Jean gently “we’ll stop for a few minutes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“While we are revitalizing our souls,” said Fischl “I shall ensure that we are not being tailed by anything, man or beast.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good idea.” replied Jean, leaning up against a tree with a sigh. She was injured, yes, but everyone else was safe and that’s what matters. She could still lead with her arm like this, and once they got to a safe place Barbara could put her arm back to normal. This was fine, everything was fine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amber eyed Jean nervously. Her arm was broken. If they got into another confrontation before Barbara could heal her, would she be able to fight? Would she try to anyways? What would happen if they lost her? Jean’s the one everyone relies on, but what happens if she isn’t there anymore?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Barbara sat gloomily, watching her sister. She’d really called for a break because she was worried about Jean. All the movement was likely causing her a lot of pain, and Barbara was worried that if she overexerted herself, she might damage it further. She hoped they could find somewhere safe soon, before anything else happened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fischl watched the forest through Oz’s eyes, gliding above the treetops and looking down on the world below. Everything seemed fine so far, she didn’t see anything. She was getting close to the place where she’d ask Oz to turn around when she saw it, a glimmer of metal. Taking Oz further down, she gasped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My subjects!” cried Fischl “We are being pursued, we have to flee this place.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everyone snapped to attention, looking at Fischl with wide eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you see?!” said Jean, scrambling to stand and wincing at the pain in her arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eleven bloody-red automatons,” Fischl continued “smaller than a ruin guard, carrying long staves and some kind of gun. It looks like they’re tracking us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How long until they get here?!” interjected Amber, leaping to her feet and pulling Barbara up as well</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ten minutes, maybe less” Fischl stood up as well “In the state we are in, I do not think that we can outdistance them, even if we had the wings of an angel.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Call back Oz,” said Jean, already knowing what she had to do “We’ll lead them to the clearing you saw earlier.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you going to do, Jean?” Barbara said, her voice wavering</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry,” she replied gently, giving her sister a pat on the shoulder “I have a plan.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The four took off running towards the clearing, Jean clinging to her arm to keep it from bouncing too much.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Acting Grandmaster, what’s the plan?” said Amber “I’m ready to back you up!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All of you run,” said Jean “I’ll face them alone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jean, no!” cried Barbara “There’s way too many of them to fight alone!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s the only option,” said Jean “Besides, I’ve taken down ruin guards before, how different could it be?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We don’t know what those things are capable of,” sputtered Fischl “you could be slaughtered!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Better one of us than all of us,” replied Jean “you aren’t going to change my mind on this. I knew when I became a Knight of Favonius that I might one day have to lay my life down for the people of Mondstadt, and I have spent every day since preparing myself for the time when I have to do so.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jean!” said Amber “Let me help you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Absolutely not,” Jean replied “I need you to guide the others.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The four broke into the clearing, the spindly branches of the trees giving way to the dusky sky overhead. The clearing was, Jean noticed, specked with small cream-colored flowers. They reminded her almost of the cecelia flowers back home, and she smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You guys go on ahead,” Jean said “I’ll catch up with you once I’m done.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Barbara ran towards her, throwing her arms around her in a hug, “Goodbye… Jean.” she sniffled “Catch up as soon as you can, okay? We’ll be waiting for you, I promise.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” said Jean, giving her sister a hug back “Stay safe, okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two let go of each other, and Barbara went back to Fischl and Amber. Amber took Barbara’s hand, and the three began to walk away, but before they went into the forest, they paused again, turning to Jean.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s been an honor, Jean.” said Amber “I’ll… keep an eye on everyone, while you’re gone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good luck, Dandelion Knight” said Fischl “May we meet again… in this world or the next.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They turned to walk away, but Barbara lingered a little bit longer, only leaving when Amber began pulling on her arm. Once the three were into the forest, they broke into a run.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jean went to the other end of the field, drew her sword, and waited.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Visions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Elsewhere, Ahriman was meditating. He sat in his tent, reaching out to the great ocean, attempting to catch the currents of the warp, so that he might see a glimpse of what is to come. Suddenly, a rush caught him, and he was swept up in a vision. It whipped around him like a great wind, carrying with it a torrential rain. After a few moments, he could hear laughter through the downpour, and he could smell something cooking, a warm, hearty smell. He couldn’t pick up on what was being said, or even how many people there were, but they seemed to be quite happy. He saw a light ahead, coming from a cave, and began to walk towards it. As he was nearly upon it, he heard a shriek and a growl, and the light went dark, the rain stopping as well, leaving him in silent darkness. The scenery changed, he was in the forest nearby the camp, the sky was clear. He heard a bird cry, a raven, and looked behind him to see that he wasn’t alone here. Something was sitting in the branches, a humanoid clad in black, with deep purple wings curled around its’ form. Seeing it had been noticed, it turned, taking off from the tree and soaring deeper into the forest. He tried to chase the being, but he lost it all too soon. He wandered aimlessly, until he found himself in a clearing. Standing across from him was a young woman with light hair, clad in a blue and white uniform. One of her arms was wrapped in something that was likely a cape at some point, but she still drew her sword and pointed it at him.</p><p>“You will go no further,” she said “I will not let you harm them.”</p><p>She charged. She was a skilled fighter, he could tell, her movements were precise, controlled, disciplined. Even without the use of her other arm, she’s a formidable opponent. He dodged strike after strike, some coming so close as to scratch his armor. Unfortunately for her, even a skilled human fighter could not hope to best a Space Marine. He swung his staff to end their battle, but before it connected, something strange happened. She raised her blade, at first he thought she was going to block him, but a rush of energy flowed through her. A gale of wind from her body threw him back, and he landed hard in the dirt. He stood up, only to see her at the center of a field of wind, her tied-back hair whipping in the storm, surrounded by small, feathery seeds.</p><p>“Barbatos guide me,” she said “I shall not fall here.”</p><p>The field dissolved into a blur of color, and the vision was gone once again. He stood up, stretching, and walked towards the door. That woman… he hadn’t seen any psychic abilities similar to hers before, but he would have to worry about it later; for now Magnus had called a meeting of the Rehati, and it would not do him well to be late.</p><p>He needn’t have worried, even with his vision he was early for the meeting, and he took his place upon the spiral 4 minutes before the meeting was due to start. His Primarch waited in the center, upon the golden disk, and his eyes swept the assembled space marines before settling on him.</p><p><em> “Is something bothering you, my son?” </em>Magnus said, telepathically reaching out to him</p><p><em> “It is nothing, father,” </em> replied Ahriman <em> “merely a puzzling vision.” </em></p><p><em> “We shall discuss it after,” </em> Magnus said <em> “perhaps we can get to the root of it together.” </em></p><p>The meeting went as normal, and afterwards Ahriman found himself at his primarch’s side, explaining the vision as he had seen it.</p><p>“The woman you fought...” said Magnus thoughtfully “Did she give any clues as to her identity?”</p><p>“None whatsoever,” Ahriman replied “I can’t recall ever meeting her before, or anyone with similar abilities.”</p><p>“I see…” Magnus thought for a moment “We haven’t found any evidence of any life here besides us and the xenos native to this planet, so… Why are you seeing humans that seemingly do not relate to us in your visions?”</p><p>“I don’t know, my primarch,” replied Ahriman “I fear that there is a vital component of this that we are missing. We don’t know the identity of the being that I saw, nor the woman, or the group in the cave.”</p><p>“Perhaps time will reveal more to us,” Magnus said “But in the meantime, I’ll send more scouting parties into the woods, perhaps there’s something we can learn there.”</p><p>“I would agree,” replied Ahriman “I think more exploration would be the best route at this time.”</p><p>“Then you wouldn’t mind leading some of the scouting parties?” Magnus asked, “You know what you saw, and I don’t want to miss anything that could be important.”</p><p>“Of course, father.” he replied, bowing and turning to leave.</p><p>“Before you go,” said Magnus “if you do find the woman, I want you to bring her and anyone she might have with her back alive. I’m… very curious as to who she is.”</p><p>“I shall,” Ahriman replied, though his primarch needn’t have asked, he was too curious about this situation to want to harm his only potential clue.</p><p>He left the tent, seeing the storm clouds gathering in the distance. He hoped they didn’t mean what he thought they meant. If he got a party together quickly, he might be able to intercept the group at the cave...</p><p>The cave was empty, but there was plenty of evidence that someone was there at some point. Four sets of shoeprints in the muddy earth leading up to the cave, and four leading away. The remains of a campfire sat further in the cave, with several overturned bowls and a large pot spilling what was likely a stew of some sort onto the ground. Blood ran from a corpse, one of the predatory creatures that lived on this planet. They were large, about as long as a space marine was tall, powerfully muscular, and covered with fur. though this one was so charred that it barely resembled the original creature. An unpleasant, acrid smell filled the air. Ahriman’s instinct to check near the hills had been correct, he had found the cave he had seen in his vision, but it seemed he was too late to prevent anything from happening.</p><p>“What do you think?” Hathor Maat stood next to him, appraising the corpse “Looks like they took a flamer to it. Do you think they’re deserters?”</p><p>“I don’t think so.” said Ahriman “the shoes that made those tracks aren’t army shoes, and that food looks like it was cooked using supplies we don’t have. I sincerely doubt these are deserters.</p><p>Ahriman walked over to the corpse, giving it a thorough investigation. After a few moments, Hathor Maat joined him.</p><p>“Looks like it was hit twice within a short period…” Ahriman said “once from the top with fire, and once from the side with electricity.”</p><p>“That isn’t all” Hathor replied, tracing the electrical burns on the creature “The combination seems to have caused some sort of reaction, frying the creature from the inside out.”</p><p>“Do you know of anything that would cause something like that?” Ahriman said, </p><p>“Likely some sort of magic” Hathor said “given the angles involved, it’d be tough to aim a traditional weapon in a way that would hit it from above, especially indoors.”</p><p>“It seems so,” replied Ahriman, standing up “Let’s follow their trail. This corpse is only an hour old, and the rain only stopped a half-hour ago, they can’t have gone far in that time.”</p><p>The trail of footprints was easy to follow. They seemed to have no interest in covering their trail or even disguising it. Perhaps they were unaware they were being followed? His gaze switched between the treeline and the ground, tracking them while keeping an eye out for the strange winged being he saw. They walked for about an hour before he noticed it, a small flicker of movement in the treeline. Too small to be a humanoid, so he dismissed it. Then, a few minutes later, he saw it again. A raven, a deep purple one. They were close. He kept his normal pace, not wanting to let on that he’d noticed the creature. He kept it in his vision as much as he could as it followed them. It vanished from sight about a minute later, and Ahriman broke into a run, signaling the rest of his company to follow.</p><p>She was waiting, as Ahriman knew she would be. She stood at the other end of the clearing from them, sword drawn, staring at them with cold eyes.</p><p>“This is the target, Magnus wants her alive,” he radioed to his squad “I’ll capture her alone. I don’t want to risk hurting her.”</p><p>He stepped forward, and readied his staff, and she charged.</p><p>“You will go no further,” she said, just like in his vision “I will not let you harm them.”</p><p>He entered the Enumerations, elevating his consciousness and reading the future, predicting her moves before she even made them and looking for an opening. He dodged several strikes, a thrust that seemed to be infused with wind, and a gust of wind that would have launched him had it connected. When she attempted to throw him again, that was when he’d strike. He let her almost graze him a few times to lull her, and then when she committed, he dodged much faster than she was hopefully expecting, moving to her side and scooping her up in his arms, knocking her feet out from under her with one hand, then lifting up to catch her with one hand resting on her back, and one under her knees. She let out a slight cry, and Ahriman winced. He hadn’t been gentle enough. Hopefully she wasn’t badly hurt. He guided himself back down through the enumerations, now that their “duel” was over, and checked her over. Her aura was dyed with confusion, he suspected she hadn’t been expecting to be taken alive. Aside from her arm she seemed to be alright, nothing that couldn’t be fixed. A small magical aura shining through her caught his eye. It was a talisman of some sort, clipped to the back of her belt. He would have to inquire about it later; but for now they had to return. He turned, ready to head back to his squad, when the pommel of her sword came flying up, hitting him square in the helmet.</p><p>He hadn’t expected her to do that.</p><p>Suddenly, her arm spasmed, and she dropped her weapon with a frightened cry.</p><p>“Hathor!” he radioed “Stand Down! Magnus wants her alive.”</p><p>“She’s fine, I only affected that arm” Hathor replied “Were you just going to let her continue beating you?”</p><p>“I was going to negotiate with her,” scolded Ahriman “now she’s frightened, on guard, it will be harder to sway her.”</p><p>He took her back to the rest of the space marines, the others forming a guard around them. One went back to retrieve his staff and her sword, taking up the rear. </p><p>“What of the others?” radioed Hathor Maat</p><p>“We leave them for now,” replied Ahriman “I don’t want to risk a confrontation.”</p><p>“Understood.” replied Hathor, ending the communication.</p><p>The woman was glaring at all of them, her unbroken arm clutching her opposite shoulder. She was leaning as far away from him as she could go, but that was the extent to which she showed her fear. Even now, captured by an unknown enemy and confronted with things she did not understand, her aura showed no trace of panic. With her discipline and fighting experience, she was likely some sort of soldier, probably an elite unit. She sacrificed herself for her fellows, probably willingly, so there must be something or someone she’s trying to protect. He wondered why the source of the explosive power they saw at the cave didn’t reveal itself, unless it came from her, but why wasn’t she doing anything now? If she had the power to electrify and burn them, why wasn’t she using it? She was right in the middle of them, surely she could do some damage. But, perhaps it was the use of her powers that damaged her arm in the first place...</p><p>“Automaton,” she said, the first thing she’d said since she was captured “What are you? Why have you captured me?”</p><p>He turned on the vox-unit that allowed him to be heard outside his armor, and said “I am not a machine, I am Ahzek Ahriman, First Captain of the Thousand Sons legion, and you are?”</p><p>“Jean Gunnhildr of the Knights of Favonius.” she replied, “Why have you captured me, First Captain Ahriman?”</p><p>“I have orders to bring you in alive,” he replied “orders that extend to your allies as well.”</p><p>“Whose orders?” she stared at the other space marines, as if trying to discern a leader</p><p>“Magnus the Red, The Crimson King,” he replied, “Primarch of the Thousand Sons legion.”</p><p>“I do not know of your ruler,” she said, eyeing him with some confusion “Where in Teyvat are we?”</p><p>“Teyvat…” Hathor radioed “Ask her if that’s the name of this planet.”</p><p>Ahriman relayed this question to Miss Gunnhildr.</p><p>“You do not know?” she replied suspiciously, her eyes narrowing “Is this not your home?”</p><p>“We are on an expedition,” he replied “Is this <em> your </em> home?”</p><p>“No.” she replied, though it was obvious she was leaving something unsaid.</p><p>“Why are you here, then?” he asked, hoping to get her to tell him more</p><p>“I would prefer not to divulge that,” she said slowly, still keeping an eye on the others</p><p>“Very well,” replied Ahriman</p><p>“You aren’t going to press the matter?” radioed Hathor</p><p>“She’s suspicious as is,” Ahriman replied, glancing over at him “if I pressure her too much, she may refuse to speak with our Primarch.”</p><p>“Magnus will be able to get information out of her regardless of how cooperative she is.” Hathor said casually</p><p>“That may be true,” replied Ahriman “but forcing her to reveal information could harm any future diplomatic relations we have with Teyvat.”</p><p>“A fair point.” conceded Hathor</p><p>They walked in silence for a while after that. The trek was long, and mostly more of the same red forest. Ahriman thought quite a bit about his prisoner and her companions. He hadn’t seen Miss Gunnhildr use anything but wind magic, and wondered if her companions were similarly element-locked, much like the cults of the Thousand Sons were in their disciplines. The light blue-green talisman hanging from her belt was certainly a clue, but she likely wouldn’t readily divulge information about it. If all of her companions were element-locked, that would mean they knew the abilities of two of her companions: some form of electricity and fire magic. The third was a mystery, though perhaps their ability was one that left little trace, like Miss Gunnhildr’s. The answer would likely come in time, Ahriman mused, it wouldn’t be long before they reached the camp.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Primarch</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Jean presumed the people capturing her were wearing some sort of armor, though how someone could move in something so bulky was beyond her. Perhaps it had some sort of internal system that eased movement? It would explain how they could move so quickly. It had only been a few hours, and yet they’d covered a distance that would take her at least a day on foot. They exited the treeline and she could see a large area where they’d cut back the forest, with the camp at the center. The camp bustled with activity. People, more armored warriors, and great machines all moving at once. It reminded her of Mondstadt on the day that Grandmaster Varka left, the last time that the full force of The Knights of Favonius had been in one place. The city was electric. everyone packing last-minute supplies, saying goodbye, or grabbing a last pint at The Angel’s Share or The Cat’s Tail. In fact, there were likely more people here then there were people in Mondstadt, even on that day. They moved past a group of people in strange robes, one of whom, a woman with bright purple hair, held up a strange box which emitted a flash. Jean flinched, and the group looked at her with a mixture of amusement and confusion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Never seen a picter before, Miss Gunnhildr?” the First Captain said, and she jumped. She had almost forgotten he could talk in the hours they’d walked in silence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that what that was?” she replied “It was so bright…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t need to worry,” he replied “they were only taking our picture.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Taking… our picture?” she asked, looking up at him with confusion</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a machine that uses light to create an image of what it “sees” in front of it,” he replied “I’ll see if I can find that remembrancer again and show you the picture, if you’re curious.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...Okay.” she replied, though she still didn’t really understand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The other soldiers left after a while, presumably because they had other duties to attend to. She and the First Captain kept going, deeper into the camp. He took her into a tent that seemed to have been cleared for the purpose of housing her, though it was a lot bigger than it needed to be for a single person. There were several machines she didn’t recognize surrounding a single bed, which was set on metal crates, making it about a foot taller than it was normally. On a nearby table there were several rolls of bandages, some containers she couldn't recognize, and something made out of black fabric. She was thankful they were at least planning on treating her arm. Hopefully that wasn’t reliant on any kind of cooperation. The First Captain finally put her down, setting her in the bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is where you’ll be staying while your arm heals.” he explained</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, First Captain.” she replied</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My Primarch will be here in a few moments,” he continued, “he has a few questions to ask you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Does he typically question prisoners himself?” she asked</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are not a typical prisoner,” the First Captain replied “he has an… interest in you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jean’s mind immediately jumped to a manner of equally unpleasant scenarios and she grimaced. This room was set up like a hospital, but it could easily become a torture chamber or worse. Her eyes flitted around the room, it was empty. She was alone, save for an enemy soldier, injured, and about to meet the enemy commander.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You will not be harmed,” he interjected rather quickly “his interest is merely in how you and your companions came to be here, not you personally.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jean turned to look at him, attempting to mask the rush of fear she was feeling under a neutral facade.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Miss Gunnhildr, I assure you that my Primarch would never do anything like that to you.” he continued</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like what, exactly?” Jean said, looking at him suspiciously “I haven’t said anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have to,” the First Captain replied “I can see how terrified you are.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was then that the flap on the tent fluttered, and a being entered. Jean wasn’t entirely sure WHAT he was. He was tall, at least as tall as a ruin guard, if not more. His skin was an unnatural shade of reddish-copper, and his hair was a darker red. When he lifted his head, she could see he only had one eye, the other was smooth, as if nothing had ever been there at all. When she felt the force of his gaze, it took all her willpower to not claw her way out of the bed in an attempt to flee. Is this what it was like to meet an Archon? Was this being on the level of the gods of her homeland?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see you’ve retrieved the woman from your vision, Ahriman,” the being said with a smile “I wasn’t expecting to meet you so soon, Miss…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gunnhildr.” stuttered Jean “Jean Gunnhildr.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” he said “Jean Gunnhildr, the Dandelion Knight, Acting Grandmaster of The Knights of Favonius, I’m pleased to meet you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know of me?” she said, trying to mask her shock, though she was sure no one was fooled for a second.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My men told me your identity.” he said simply, striding into the tent</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t mention I was the Acting Grandmaster or the Dandelion Knight,” she replied, looking at him suspiciously “so how did you know that I was?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have my ways, Acting Grandmaster,” he said, with a wave of his hand “I am Magnus the Red, the Crimson King, Primarch of the Fifteenth Legion: The Thousand Sons. It is very hard to keep information from me. So, how did you come to be on this planet? There are no settlements here. This planet is empty of any form of intelligent life save for my legion and you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jean paused for a moment, regarding him with a mixture of trepidation and suspicion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I understand that this sounds completely insane,” she said slowly, her words spilling out almost subconciously “but my companions and I just... awoke here. We have no knowledge of how we came to be here or where here even is. I have gathered that we are not in Teyvat, which is our homeland, but other than that I have no knowledge of this place.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You… awoke here?” he said, staring at her with a look of confusion on his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We awoke in a clearing somewhere to the north of here,” she said, “I know it sounds like something out of a fairy tale, but it’s the truth.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stared at her for a few moments, it felt like his eye was boring into her, seeing right through her body and into her heart and soul. It never seemed to be the same color when she looked at it, and that puzzled her. She had never heard of being like this one before. Even the Archons are said to be very human, though she’d never met one herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You speak the truth,” he said finally, “as puzzling as it is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The First Captain stood up, gave a slight bow to his Primarch, and left. Jean watched him leave, somewhat confused.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He has other matters to attend to,” the Primarch said, as if sensing her confusion “We shall converse alone. So, who exactly are The Knights of Favonius?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Knights are the governing body of Mondstadt,” she replied “which is one of eight countries in Teyvat. We can act as a military or police force when needed, but we’re equally involved in day-to-day administration.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And as the Acting Grandmaster, you’re basically in charge?” he asked, tilting his head slightly “Forgive me, but you seem quite young to hold such an office.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Grandmaster Varkas saw me fit to lead in his absence,” she replied coolly, “and I served him faithfully as the Dandelion Knight for several years before that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll have to forgive me, but I haven’t heard of the title of Dandelion Knight before.” he was watching her quite intently, and it was only now she realized she was giving quite a bit of information to a man who was basically holding her captive.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s merely a symbolic title, passed between female knights.” she said, completely oversimplifying the matter “Who are you? I can’t say I’ve heard of you or your army before either.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As I said before, my name is Magnus the Red,” he said, it was somewhat reluctant, and Jean could tell he was only humoring her. “I am from a planet called Prospero, a planet renowned amongst scholars and the enlightened.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you are a scholar as well as a king and a warrior?” Jean replied “Impressive, your people must be thriving with you as their king.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For a moment, he seemed rather surprised, but he quickly brushed it off, “I am glad you think that way. There are many in the Imperium who do not share your respect for myself or my home...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That is quite a shame,” she said “why do they not respect you? Learning is an incredibly noble pursuit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Some people fear the knowledge we have to give,” he replied “because they believe in lies and superstition. I can tell by the talisman you carry that you don’t think that way, though.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My Vision?” she replied, staring at him with confusion “I fail to see how that has anything to do with this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are a sorceress, are you not?” he said expectantly</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m a knight,” she replied “my Vision merely allows me to channel the element Anemo when I fight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But you use magic,” he replied, “is that not the same as being a sorceress?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I would hardly call myself a mage,” she replied “I’ve never truly studied magic, I merely use my vision to augment my swordfighting.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here, that distinction is absent,” he replied “unfortunately, all who use magic, no matter how much or what kind, are painted with the same brush. We are all thought of as evil, sorcerers and witches who summon demons with the blood of innocent virgins.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How could that be?” she replied “Is magic not a gift from the gods?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He paused for a moment; staring at her with a mixture of confusion and disappointment before speaking again, “Well, actually” he said, slowly and gently, like someone attempting to teach a young child “magic is more of a science. The ability to do magic is an inborn talent, which is then refined through rigorous study and discipline. The gods are no more real than fairy tales. It is because of the Imperium’s superstition that people reject us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m well aware that magic is a science, I’ve seen what alchemists and mages are capable of,” replied Jean coldly “but the granting of Visions cannot be anything other than a manifestation of divine will. I was given mine,” she unclipped her Vision from the back of her belt, displaying it to the Primarch “as I worked tirelessly to protect my home from forces within and without. That was Barbados giving me the power with which to protect my homeland, and I will wield it in Mondstadt’s name until I die.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stared at her vision with curiosity, bending down so that he could see it better. “Acting Grandmaster, who made you this… Vision of yours?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Visions are not made,” she replied “they appear. Like I said, they are granted by the gods.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“May I see it?” he asked gently</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You won’t be able to do anything with it,” she replied “only the person the vision is granted to may use its magic.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How curious,” he said “May I have a demonstration? If it isn’t too much trouble.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am… not the best at channeling without my weapon,” she replied “but I will do my best.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She put her vision back on her belt and held out her unbroken arm, summoning a small whirlwind in her palm. Gradually, it grew in size until it was about a foot tall, making her hair, clothes and the cables on the machines around her wave.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fascinating!” he said “You’re channeling your magic through the Vision, but it’s not coming from you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is this… unusual?” replied Jean</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Extremely,” Magnus said, his eye seemed to shine with excitement, “Normally, magic comes from within a person. As I said, it’s an inborn gift. But with one of these, it’s possible for someone without that talent to harness magic.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where I am from, it is the reverse which is virtually unheard of,” she replied “perhaps in a fairy tale you might find someone with an inborn gift for magic, but as for real life, a vision is the only option.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She elected to not mention the Delusions. After all, they were far less common and far more dangerous. No need for him to worry about them if they aren’t around to worry about.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And all of your companions, the three people you are here with, bear these Visions, yes?” he said</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...Why do you ask?” she replied suspiciously</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Acting Grandmaster,” he said “I shall help you all to return home if you and your companions assist me in the study of your Visions and your magic. I am something of a magical scholar, and this sort of thing is virtually unheard of. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So long as neither I nor any of my companions come to harm,” she replied “I shall work with you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I accept,” he replied “shall I heal your arm for you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You have a healer on staff?” she asked “Why were they not here in the first place?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As I said, a great deal of people in the Imperium and beyond do not trust magic,” he replied “so we often find ourselves doing it the primitive way, for diplomacy’s sake. Since you are also enlightened, we will not need to do so.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He ran a hand over her injured arm, and she could feel it healing. Her bones knit back into place and the muscles reattached, as if it had never broken at all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are a healer?” she said, moving her healed arm “Well, I suppose I don’t need to ask, considering the evidence is right in front of me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am knowledgeable in many fields,” he replied “especially when it comes to magic.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fascinating,” Jean replied, and her stomach let out a sudden growl. She flushed in embarrassment ”Ah, forgive me, I haven’t had anything since I arrived.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll have someone bring you some food.” he replied</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What about my companions?” Jean asked. She hoped they could retrieve them soon. She was worried about them, as competent as they were, it wasn’t good to be in unfamiliar territory at night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My men are tracking them,” he replied “we don’t have a fix on their location yet, but we should have one by tomorrow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see,” Jean replied. That was likely Amber’s doing, probably Fischl’s too. They were competent subordinates, they would certainly be alright on their own, if only for the night “I take it I am not allowed outside the tent?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not for the time being,” he replied “when your companions are brought in I shall have more permanent lodgings for you four. You will be allowed to freely move through the camp then.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Very well,” Jean replied, it was a little disconcerting, but it was reasonable. He’d been a kind host thus far, after all. “I shall see you tomorrow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Have a good evening, Acting Grandmaster,” he said as he left</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jean was now entirely alone in the tent. She worried about Amber, Barbara, and Fischl. She wondered why she hadn’t insisted that the two of them go get them tonight. She could remember thinking that, in the moment, but it didn’t matter now. She had made a deal, and she wasn’t about to break her word if she had no reason, she had no choice but to sit and wait and see if Magnus the Red was anywhere near as trustworthy as he claimed. She didn’t have the means to escape, at least on her own, let alone find a way home. Being at the mercy of this strange king and his mysterious army of titans sat very, very wrong with Jean, now that she thought about it. Why was she not feeling this cautious before? There was something… something about his presence. It pushed the doubt from her mind. He mentioned he had magical abilities, though he’d only demonstrated his ability to heal. What else could he be hiding in his arsenal? Perhaps… perhaps it didn’t matter. All of her companions would be here tomorrow, and they could definitely figure out something together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All she had to do was stay here and wait.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Me, writing this chapter: Since Teyvat is canonically like… horse and cart stage of tech, that means cameras don’t exist yet right? What if I had a camera-using remembrancer as a side character, to help demonstrate the tech gap?<br/>GI literally 1 month later: -has an event that features the player getting and using a camera-<br/>Me: I Am Looking Away. I Do Not See It.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Hunted</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Fischl, Barbara, Amber, and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad two days.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Fischl, Barbara and Amber huddled in a shallow cave. Cave was perhaps not the right word for it. It wasn’t very deep. They could put their backs against the end of it and still look out into the darkness of the night. Hopefully, this would prevent a repeat of their lunchtime mishap. They’d collected the driest fuel they could find to reduce smoke, and Amber had built a fire pit from rocks the way her grandfather taught her. It made things feel normal, almost.</p><p>“Do you think Jean is okay?” asked Barbara, looking up from the fire.</p><p>“She’s fine,” said Amber “nothing can stop Jean. She probably ate those things for lunch!”</p><p>Fischl said nothing, she just stared out into the night.</p><p>“We should probably be getting to bed,” Amber said “We’ll sleep in shifts, two asleep and one on watch. I’ll take the first watch. Fischl, do you want the second watch?”</p><p>“I accept.” Fischl replied</p><p>“That means Barbara you’re the last watch,” Amber said “try to get some sleep. I’ll be watching out for you two.”</p><p>Amber took up a position by the door, her bow by her side, and stared out into the night. It was dark and empty, as it had been before. She wondered if Jean really had made it. She’d been outnumbered before, but it was eleven to one this time, and from Fischl’s description those things looked strong. Jean had been in plenty of scrapes, but most of the time she had the Knights with her. This time… she was alone. But still, that didn’t mean she was dead, right? They could have captured her, taken her alive. But if they did capture her… where did they take her?</p><p>Amber spent the remaining hours of her watch mulling it all over. Jean, the strange beings that tracked them, and what to do about all of it. Technically Barbara, as the Deaconess, was the highest-ranking person here, but she had no idea what to do in this sort of situation. She’d been defaulting to her and Fischl’s lead anyways. Somebody had to take charge. It may as well be her. When the time came to awake Fischl, she gently shook her awake, and the two traded watches.</p><p>Fischl looked out into the barren darkness, summoning Oz to sweep the perimeter. The sight of those automatons, bloody-red and marching in even rows, had frightened her. They’d caught on to them before any of them even knew they were there, and they had absolutely killed Jean. It was good to put on a brave face for Barbara, she wasn’t accustomed to the idea of death in the way that an adventurer or a knight would be, but there was no use deluding themselves. Jean wasn’t coming back. Those things absolutely slaughtered her. They had to find a way to get away from them, or they’d all be slaughtered too. Back and forth, back and forth, Oz swept the perimeter of the camp, searching for anything. They saw some of the strange white creatures, and another large red one, which Oz chased off with a barrage of electrical bolts, but none of the automatons, and Fischl’s watch passed without much incident. She awoke Barbara, and went back to sleep.</p><p>Barbara looked out into the night. She’d never taken a watch before. She didn’t know what she was looking for. She wished Jean was here. She’d know what to do. She was a good idol, but she couldn’t lead people like Jean could. Amber and Fischl were putting on a brave face for her, but she knew they were both as doubtful about Jean as she was. What if Jean was out there right now? Alone and scared in the dark? What if she was injured? What if she… wasn’t even alive?</p><p>Barbara stared out into the night, full of unknowns and terrors, and took a deep breath. It was scary out there, true, but she had Amber and Fischl with her. With the three of them together, even without Jean, they were a formidable force. It was Amber and Fischl who defeated the monster in the cave afterall. It won’t be so bad. Together the three can find Jean again and get back to figuring out where they are. And if the automatons tried to mess with them again… they sure could try it! They wouldn’t be as easy of a target now that they were staying together.</p><p>Soon enough the morning came, and Barbara woke Amber and Fischl cheerfully, and the three ate some of their rations for breakfast. With fuller bellies and a bit more cheer, they got up to face the next day.</p><p>“So, what do we do now?” said Barbara</p><p>“We keep running,” said Amber “if those things are automatons, they probably only patrol a certain area. If we can get away…”</p><p>“We won’t need to worry anymore!” completed Barbara</p><p>“That is an excellent idea, my subject!” said Fischl cheerfully “Let us begin our flight, upon wings of darkness and the night!”</p><p>The three walked out of the cave and into the forest once again, Oz doing wide loops around the group to watch for danger. They were walking along the edge of the cliffside, somewhat spread out so that their trail wouldn’t be as obvious. After a few long hours of walking, they spotted a small hole in the side of the mountain, only about as tall and wide as one of them.</p><p>“If we get spotted, we could run in there!” said Barbara cheerfully</p><p>“We won’t be staying in this area for long,” said Amber “but it’s a possibility for the moment, for sure.</p><p>The three kept walking, and gradually the cliff began to slope downwards and taper off.</p><p>“Seems as if we’re getting to the edge of the cliffs” said Amber “that’s good, we could see if we could find a valley to cut through these mountains.”</p><p>Fischl shushed her “Quiet, my subjects. The automatons approach from above. They are led by a demon.”</p><p>“A… demon?” squeaked Barbara</p><p>“Fischl, what did I tell you about scaring Barbara!” hissed Amber</p><p>“I’m not being dramatic!” replied Fischl, her voice barely above a whisper “It’s a demon! A bright red demon taller than a ruin guard! They’re coming this way, we have to hide!”</p><p>She pulled the two of them into a small hollow in the cliffside, the three pressing themselves into the rock. Slowly, they heard the approach of booming footsteps, and then, a voice.</p><p>“So you’re saying that bird belongs to one of them.” said the first voice, deep and booming like a crack of thunder.</p><p>“Yes, my Primarch,” a second replied “First Captain Arhiman reported it right before we captured the first member of their party. It likely means they’re somewhere close.”</p><p>“Spread out and find them then,” the first voice boomed “I want them taken alive and uninjured.”</p><p>Below them, in the cave, the three looked at each other.</p><p>“The cave we saw before,” whispered Barbara “we should make a break for it.”</p><hr/><p> </p><p>Magnus knew if he talked loud enough, the three would hear him. They were hiding below him. He could see their auras through the rock. They were coming out of their hiding place now, hoping to sneak away now while he was distracted. Little did they know, they were playing right into his hands.</p><p>“Two squads with me,” he issued the message to his soldiers telepathically “the other two, use the cliff to cut them off from the other side. We’ll let them think they’re getting away, then pen them against the cliffside.”</p><p>He watched as they crept away, barking nonsense orders to his men. Whichever one had the Raven familiar had dismissed it for now, so they won’t be able to see them until it’s too late. They were running back along the cliffside now. He let them run, directing one squad to pursue them at a slow, almost leisurely pace, as the other went into the forest, letting them outdistance them for just long enough to think that they’d made it before breaking into a sprint. The squads on the other side had done the same, and now they had them surrounded on all sides, pinned against the cliff with nowhere to go.</p><p>It was the last one in line, a woman in red, who saw them first. She shouted to the others, who promptly broke into a sprint. It didn’t matter, he’d be close enough to grab them in a few seconds, though hopefully he wouldn’t have to. One dove into a hole in the cliffside, a small one. Then the other two followed. They’d planned for this, but they were still cornered. He reached in after them, felt something solid, and grabbed, pulling out… a children’s toy?</p><p>It looked very much like the girl in red, and it wiggled in his grasp, making squeaking noises. How stupid did they think he was? There was no way this… little toy could ever pass as a suitable body double for any of them. It was honestly laughable how pathetic this attempt to fool him was. It’d be easier to capture these idiots than he thought. He chuckled, squeezing the toy in one hand.</p><p>Suddenly, the toy began to heat up rapidly, and it exploded into flames, causing him to jump in shock. A purple-tipped arrow flew from the cave entrance, piercing the toy. Pain lanced up his arm as the toy exploded, sending burning fluff everywhere. He cursed and shook his arm, the pain already receding as his body healed itself.</p><p>“That was very brave of you three,” he said, glaring towards the cave entrance “but I’m afraid it’s going to take a little bit more than a booby-trapped toy to harm me.”</p><p>“You kidnapped Jean!” squeaked a voice from inside the cave</p><p>“She is currently in my custody, yes.” he said</p><p>“Give her back!” the voice squeaked again</p><p>“She actually wants you three to come with me,” he said gently “you see, I can help you go home, if you help me.”</p><p>“How do we know if you’re telling the truth!” said another voice, a louder, harsher one.</p><p>“She was suspicious at first too,” he said “then I healed her arm, the one she broke fighting that beast that attacked you. That was proof enough of my intentions.”</p><p>“Words mean nothing,” a third voice said “allow your deeds to speak for themselves or silence yourself.”</p><p>“If you’d like proof of my intentions, you’ll need to come out.” he replied, reaching out a hand, palm-up, to the hole in the mountain “You will not be harmed. That was a part of the deal I made with the Acting Grandmaster.”</p><p>“So the deal is you help us go home,” said the second voice “in exchange for… what exactly?”</p><p>“You help me study the visions you all bear.” he replied</p><p>He could hear them whispering to each other, debating whether or not to trust him. As they were distracted, he reached into their minds. The first one was Outrider Amber, a fiery, athletic sort of girl. She had a grim determination to protect the other two, particularly Barbara. The second was Amy, she seemed a lot more gloomy and pessimistic. She was terrified of him, and she truly did think he was a demon of some kind. The third was Barbara, a sweet, innocent girl. Poor thing, she was so worried about her sister. They conversed for a few moments, then slowly one of them stepped out of the cave. It was the woman in red, Amber. She looked a lot younger than he’d anticipated, she was in her late teens at the absolute oldest.</p><p>“I take it you’re the Pyrae,” he said, looking down at her</p><p>“The what?” she replied, looking up at him</p><p>“You use fire magic,” he replied “like making dolls explode.”</p><p>“Oh,” she mumbled “uh... sorry about that...”</p><p>“It is in the past,” he replied “I’ve already healed. It will take a bit more firepower than that to damage me, Outrider.”</p><p>“Wait…” she said, looking up at him with shock “How do you know I’m the-”</p><p>“Jean told me about you three,” he said simply “Outrider Amber of the Knights of Favonius, Amy of the Adventurer’s Guild, and Deaconess Barbara of the church of Barbatos.”</p><p>It was at this point the second of the three poked her head out of the cave. It was Amy. Her outfit was dark and dramatic, it almost looked like a costume. Given the dramatic way she spoke, she likely fancied herself to be more than what she really was. A typical teenager with delusions of grandeur.</p><p>“How do you know that name?” she asked pointedly “Nobody calls me Amy.”</p><p>“Wait,” said Amber “your name <em> isn’t </em> Fischl?”</p><p>“I… prefer to go by Fischl.” Amy replied shyly</p><p>“Moving on,” said Magnus “you-”</p><p>“Wait wait wait,” said Amber “how <em> did </em> you know Fischl’s birth name?”</p><p>“Yeah, that’s kind of strange,” said Barbara, still within the cave “I don’t even think Jean knows her birth name. Everyone’s been calling her Fischl for… as long as I can remember, really.”</p><p>“I have my ways,” he said, beginning to get annoyed with how quickly they’ve latched onto a relatively insignificant detail “are you three hungry? I have food.”</p><p>It was Barbara’s turn to pick her way out of the cave. She wasn’t dressed for an expedition. Her clothes were too dainty, and he could see in places where they’d already become torn. Like the others, she was young. A poor, indoctrinated soul praying to a god that could never hear her prayers.</p><p>“You have food?” she asked, looking up at him with sweet, innocent eyes</p><p>He gestured to one of his space marines, and he opened a pack, taking out three small meal bars, one for each girl.</p><p>“Given the state your leader was in, I imagined the three of you would be just as hungry,” he said “I brought plenty. Eat as much as you’d like.”</p><p>Each girl selected a bar, and he stepped away from the cliffside, gesturing for them to follow.</p><p>“I trust you don’t mind eating while you walk?” he said</p><p>“We don’t!” said Amber cheerfully “Right?”</p><p>He walked in front, but he still kept tabs on them as they walked behind him. Amy-Fischl and Amber’s auras were clouded with suspicion, but Barbara seemed to trust him implicitly. He could hear the sound of one of them opening a bar, but no eating sounds. They were whispering behind him.</p><p>“Barbara! We don’t know if these are safe to eat yet!” whispered Amber “Don’t eat them!”</p><p>“He seems nice enough,” Barbara responded “he hasn’t tried to hurt us yet.”</p><p>“He might be like a snake, attempting to deceive and injure us,” said Amy-Fischl urgently “Foul poisons or alchemical concoctions could have been added to the food, to carry us into the oblivion of sleep… or death.”</p><p>Smart girl. The bars were in fact drugged. Only enough to knock them out long enough for transport, but drugged regardless. He didn’t want to take chances. Her only mistake was thinking they’d eat the same food as she and her companions would. He heard a crinkle as Barbara presumably put her bar away.</p><p>“Do you think he can hear us?” said Amber</p><p>“It is entirely possible” said Amy-Fischl “I think he has magic far more potent than you or I though, and I believe he uses that instead.”</p><p>“What do you mean?” said Barbara</p><p>“He can see into our minds, down into our very souls” said Amy-Fischl “How else would he know that name? I have not gone by that name since I was but a child, it does not make any sense.”</p><p>She was picking up on things faster than he’d thought, though he had made quite a big mistake, using her true name. Despite her… flamboyant personality, she was definitely one to watch. If it came down to it, he could manipulate the other three easy enough. Barbara was so sweet and trusting he could likely get her to do anything, Amber would do anything for her beloved Acting Grandmaster, and the Acting Grandmaster herself could be led with a bit of a psychic push. Their earlier conversation was proof of that. He had a feeling she’d be a tougher nut to crack. She was distant, distrustful, and whether she picked up on it or not, good at reading situations. It is entirely possible she may have an amount of latent psychic ability in her, though only time will tell.</p><p>It was going to be an interesting trip back.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. The Way Back</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Magnus continues with his plan, but as he continues to travel with his captives he finds something that doesn’t add up…</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Amber, Fischl, and Barbara walked in uncomfortable silence. Ringed in on all sides by armored beings, the three girls were walking so close as to practically be tripping on one another. Their captors walked slightly too fast for them, so they had to walk at an awkwardly fast pace to keep up. Fischl’s eyes darted between all of them, while Amber stared straight ahead. Barbara kept her eyes on the ground, staring at the huge footprints the giant before them was leaving.</p><p>“So, how did you four manage to get here?” the being said cheerfully “A bit far away from Teyvat, aren’t you?”</p><p>“We don’t know…” said Barbara quietly</p><p>“We simply awoke here,” Fischl replied “as if we were spirited away by strange magics.”</p><p>“It’s like they said,” said Amber “we were home, and then we were here.”</p><p>“That’s exactly what your leader said,” he replied with a sigh “shame, I was hoping one of you would be able to give me more insight on your arrival.”</p><p>“How did you get here?” asked Barbara</p><p>“I did not appear here like you did,” he replied “my fleet is currently in orbit.”</p><p>“So... there’s an ocean nearby?” asked Barbara “Strange. I thought we were further inland.”</p><p>“In orbit implies they sail not through the ocean, but through the stars.” corrected Fischl</p><p>“How can you sail a ship through the stars? Wouldn’t it fall?” replied Barbara</p><p>“Maybe there’s plaustrite keeping it up?” said Amber “My grandpa always said you could make buildings that float out of it…”</p><p>“It’s a spaceship.” the being said, his voice tinged with annoyance “it doesn’t need anything to float because there’s no gravity in space.”</p><p>“How’d you get it up there, then?” Amber asked</p><p>“It depends,” he said “Some ships can handle travel through the atmosphere, those are typically assembled on a planet and then take off from there. Larger ships that cannot handle atmospheric travel are assembled in space, with the parts brought from the nearest planet.”</p><p>“Wow!” said Barbara, staring up at the sky “so they’re just up there all the time?”</p><p>“Yes, all the time,” he replied “why don’t we stop to rest? It’s been a while. I bet you three are hungry.”</p><p>They settled in a small clearing, the being’s soldiers taking up posts around the edges of the clearing, with themselves and the being in the middle.</p><p>“Aren’t you or your soldiers going to eat, sir?” said Barbara</p><p>“We’re all fine,” he replied “we aren’t hungry.”</p><p>“Your men must be positively famished after traversing those mountains for so long,” Fischl said “if you don’t feed them they might waste away.”</p><p>“No, really,” he said “we don’t have the same metabolism levels as an ordinary human. I could go without food or water for several days if need be. If anything, I’m worried about you poor girls. You’ve been out there for how long?”</p><p>“About a day and a half,” replied Amber “we’re hardly in danger of going hungry, in fact we still have some supplies with us.”</p><p>“That’s good,” he replied “I don’t think this planet has much that would be edible for a human, save for the animals.”</p><p>“We certainly never found anything,” replied Amber “but we weren’t that desperate yet.”</p><p>“I take it you three are experienced with wilderness travel?” he asked</p><p>“Fischl and I are, yes,” said Amber “Barbara not so much.”</p><p>“I rarely have cause to leave the city,” she said shyly “so I don’t really go into the countryside much.”</p><p>“I am curious as to why someone with so little adventuring experience is here,” he asked “are you the one in charge of this mission?”</p><p>“No, no!” squeaked Barbara, her face flushing “I’m a healer. That’s why I’m here.”</p><p>“Interesting,” he said “would any of you be willing to give me a demonstration of your magical abilities?”</p><p>The three girls looked at each other, and Fischl stood up.</p><p>“I shall show you the power of the Prinzessin!” she said, stepping into the center of the clearing. “Oz, reveal thyself!”</p><p>Oz burst into being with a cloud of electricity, unfurled his dark purple wings, and soared in a circle above the camp.</p><p>“Impressive,” the being said “you have quite a bit of control over your elemental abilities, to be able to create an extension of yourself through them…”</p><p>“Ozvaldo and I are different people,” Fischl corrected “he is my familiar, a Night Raven from the land of Immernachtreich”</p><p>“I... see.” he replied</p><p>“Oz is an incredibly important ally to me. I can channel my dark powers through Oz, allowing him to fight alongside me on the field of battle,” Fischl continued, “but I can also see through his eyes, though I imagine you had gathered that already, given the manner of our meeting.”</p><p>As the being was focused on Fischl, Amber reached into Fischl’s bag and pulled out her ration bar, winking at Barbara. Catching on immediately, Barbara pulled her own bar from her bag, handing it to Amber. Amber took her own bar out, summoned Baron Bunny, and stuffed the bars into its’ hood, giving Barbara a conspiratorial grin.</p><p>“I’ll go next!” said Amber cheerfully</p><p>Amber and Fischl traded places, Amber still holding Baron Bunny in her arms. When she got to the center of the clearing, she activated Baron Bunny, throwing it a little bit in front of her and stepping back to get out of the blast zone.</p><p>“Oh, it’s your little… toy again.” he said, watching skeptically as it danced</p><p>“This is Baron Bunny!” Amber said cheerfully “She’s the best friend an outrider can have! She distracts enemies, and when they’re all grouped up… kaboom! It makes elemental reactions really easy. Oz and Fischl can just come right in and clean them up.”</p><p>As if to punctuate the point, Baron Bunny exploded, bursting into a cloud of flames. Amber stared at him with a cheerful grin. The three ration bars lay in pieces among the pile of burning fluff, giving off a positively awful smell. The being looked at the burning bars, then at her, then back at the bars. Amber’s grin started to waver slightly.</p><p>“I suppose that was to be expected,” he said stiffly “very well, let’s move on.”</p><p>They got up and began to walk again. Barbara, Amber, and Fischl walked together again, giving each other nervous glances.</p><hr/><p> </p><p>Magnus had expected them to attempt to get rid of the rations he’d given them given how much they distrusted him, but he hadn’t quite expected them to do it like that. They were quite obviously not the group he had tracked in the mountains. They couldn’t be capable of getting around him without even leaving a trace, and then turn around and attempt to dispose of the rations in a way that would so obviously backfire. He had assumed the souls he’d sensed up there had been Fischl and her bird, but the bird was just a manifestation of her powers, not a tutelary as he’d assumed.</p><p>They said and did little of importance in the time between when they resumed walking and when they stopped for the evening, then they set about building a campsite. He didn’t stop them, but he directed his men to keep a close eye on them, just in case. Within a few minutes they had a roaring fire and were putting together some sort of stew with the remaining vegetables from their rations and the remains of one of those white herbivorous creatures. Between the three of them, they made for a rather good team, with Fischl and Amber butchering the creature, and Barbara taking care of the stew, using her power to add the needed water. The resultant meal looked and smelled excellent, and the three sat together, pulling out a set of four camping bowls and filling them with food.</p><p>He elected to leave them alone while they ate, choosing instead to psychically scan the area. They were far enough away from the hunting grounds of the red carnivores that they wouldn’t be bothered, but it was a good idea to be vigilant anyways, especially with that unknown element on the loose… It was at that point he sensed one of the girls approaching him. Barbara, the Deaconess.</p><p>“Are you hungry sir?” She asked, and he turned to see her offering him a bowl of soup.</p><p>“Thank you, Deaconess.” he said, taking the offered soup. He didn’t really need to eat, but he knew an olive branch when he saw one.</p><p>“Please just call me Barbara, everyone does!” she replied</p><p>“Alright,” he replied, tasting a bit of the soup. Their camping dishware looked almost comically small in his hands, but he used it anyway. The soup was rather good, and he smiled at the young Deaconess. “It’s very nice, thank you Miss Barbara.”</p><p>“You’re welcome sir!” she replied, giving a quick curtsy and returning to the others to finish her dinner. They talked while they ate, but discussed little of importance. He half-listened to them as he ate his own food, returning his bowl when he was done. The three continued to talk for about thirty minutes before deciding to go to bed. As the three went to sleep, he prepared to wait. It was going to be a long night. It was a shame his plan hadn’t worked, the girls slowed their progress significantly. With his men keeping watch, he pulled out a deck of tarot cards. May as well make the most of the delay. He focused on the souls he had seen earlier and pulled out two cards instinctively. Justice and the Hierophant. Interesting. Two cards very bound by the structure of law, order, and convention, very different from the four people he’s met already. One religious, one related to the law. It was obvious now that whoever they were, they were not the three girls he was currently accompanying. He would have to see if he could see more about them later. He re-shuffled the cards and, purely for the fun of it, laid out three cards while concentrating on his First Captain, Ahriman. Past, present, future. He flipped the past card first, and came up with The Tower in reverse. The present card was The Magician, upright. The future card was The Lovers, upright.</p><p>“What manner of game is this?” said a voice from behind him, and he turned to see Fischl standing next to him.</p><p>“Are you familiar with Tarot cards?” he said “They’re a form of fortune-telling that was practiced on Old Earth.”</p><p>“You can read the threads of fate as they’re woven?” she asked, looking at him “How curious, I was under the impression people with such abilities were rare.”</p><p>“I am no ordinary person,” he replied “come and sit.”</p><p>She sat down next to him, looking at the cards intently. He put the three cards he’d pulled back into the deck and reshuffled them.</p><p>“So…” she said, looking between the cards and him “how does one use this… tarot.”</p><p>“Focus on someone, for instance, The Acting Grandmaster, and shuffle the deck,” he said “then for this spread you draw three cards. One for their past, one for their present, and one for their future.”</p><p>She watched as he shuffled the deck, laying out three cards on the ground. He flipped the first card, Strength. The second was The Tower, and the third was The Lovers.</p><p>“What manner of omens have you uncovered?” she asked</p><p>“Strength is the card of overcoming one’s problems, since she has this in her past, it’s likely she had a challenge in her past that she has since overcome.” he said, pointing to the card as he spoke “The Tower represents sudden, catastrophic change. It makes sense for that to be in the present, considering what the four of you have been through. The Lovers represents relationships, though not necessarily of the romantic kind. Perhaps it is a sign that our alliance is going to go well.”</p><p>“Perhaps…” said Fischl quietly, watching as he gathered the cards back up and shuffled them again.</p><p>“Come and sit across from me,” he said, beginning to stack the cards into a tower “I have something I want to show you.”</p><p>She sat across from him, watching him stack the cards.</p><p>“Do you think that if I were to collapse this tower, you could catch a specific card as it fell?” he asked</p><p>“That would be a rather difficult task,” she replied, eyeing the tower “an ordinary person would need a considerable amount of luck to accomplish it.”</p><p>“Luck has nothing to do with it,” he replied, “I’ll show you, give me a card.”</p><p>“The Lovers.” she replied</p><p>“Good, now knock it down.” he said.</p><p>She swept her hand underneath the tower, scattering the cards, and as they fell he caught one without even looking, turning it to reveal The Lovers.</p><p>“Wow!” she said, dropping her persona “I can’t beli- I mean- Truly impressive, you must be a being of great power indeed.”</p><p>“You needn’t keep up that pretense with me,” he replied, gathering the cards again and beginning to re-stack them “I’m quite aware of who you really are.”</p><p>She stared at him, pouting slightly.</p><p>“Apologies,” he said “I did not intend to upset you.”</p><p>“Which thread of fate do you want me to pluck?” she asked, refusing to dwell on what he’d said.</p><p>“Strength,” he replied, collapsing the tower immediately. She panicked, her hand darting to catch a random card. Turning it, she revealed The Magician.</p><p>“Not quite, Miss Fischl,” he said with a chuckle “perhaps I could teach you more once we return to camp. You ought to head to sleep, it’s getting quite late.”</p><p>“I am keeping watch over my subjects,” she replied “I shall be awake for another hour or so.”</p><p>“Very well,”  he replied “would you like me to show you more?”</p><p>She hesitated, looking between him and the cards.</p><p>“I… suppose that I have nothing else to do,” she said in an attempt to be nonchalant “considering your men are also keeping watch.”</p><p>“Very good,” he said with a smile “let’s begin.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Reunion</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Jean is finally reunited with her companions, and gets to know the First Captain a bit better. A deal is made, and for the moment, all is well.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Jean felt restless. The only time people had been into her tent since the Primarch’s interrogation had been to bring her food and remove the medical machines, and they never stayed long and barely spoke. She wondered if Fischl, Amber, and Barbara were doing alright. He had promised not to harm them, but how willing was he to keep that promise, really? If they attacked him, would he de-escalate, or attempt to bring them in by force?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sighed. She wasn’t with him, so there was no way she could be sure. She was stuck here, powerless. She sat up with a huff. If she was going to be stuck in here, she ought to at the very least get up and move around. She spent the bulk of the day before sleeping out of boredom. She threw off the cover, swung her legs over the side, and slipped out of her bed and onto the ground. She stretched, reaching high above her head and going up on tiptoes, before coming back down with a satisfying thump. It felt good to be standing, at least. She wandered around the empty tent, pacing like a caged beast.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She could hear voices outside the entrance, a man talking with the guards. After a few moments, they let him pass, and he stepped into the tent. He was tall, not as tall as the Primarch, but still taller and broader than any man she’d seen by a significant margin. His skin was a rich copper color and his cool-toned black hair was long. It fell in cascading waves around his face, neatly framing his dark eyes. He was handsome, extremely so, and he greeted her with a smile that gave her butterflies.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Acting Grandmaster, good morning,” he said “it’s a pleasure to see you again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You as well.” she answered cordially, despite having no idea where and when they’d met previously</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My primarch has returned with your companions in tow,” he said “he wants you to meet with him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are they alright?” she said</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They’re in perfect health, if a bit hungry,” he replied, not seeming to take offense at her question “Follow me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They left the tent together, once they exited he slowed his pace so they could walk side by side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They haven’t stopped asking about you since they set foot back in the camp,” he said as they walked “they won’t do anything until they know you’re alright.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How long have they been back?” she asked</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not long,” he replied “only about 5 minutes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I presume The Crimson King and his First Captain are with them?” she asked</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Acting Grandmaster,” he said, a note of amusement in his voice “I am the First Captain.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh! My apologies!” she said, letting out a nervous chuckle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s my fault” he replied, still clearly amused “I’m so used to people recognizing me, I forgot you haven’t seen me out of armor before.”</span>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ahriman didn’t fathom why he hadn’t realized sooner. She’d been confused when he came to get her, and there was a slight purple flush around the edges of her aura that he hadn’t seen before, one he tended to notice when he spoke to some of the remembrancers attached to the legion. It was quite obvious in hindsight that she hadn’t recognized him right away. She was silent now, embarrassment swirling in her aura, mixing with fear and making her tense. She kept her eyes straight ahead as they walked. Feeling the urge to ease her embarrassment, he spoke:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, are all the Knights of Favonius female?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” she replied “the Knights are open to everyone, regardless of gender. Though the title of Dandelion Knight is only granted to women. I assume The Thousand Sons are all male, given the name of your legion?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Indeed,” he replied “though all space marine legions are exclusively male.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see,” she said, turning to look at him “your Primarch must care for you a great deal, to call you his sons.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He does,” he said “he’s truly like a father to us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She smiled “My mother always told me that the best leaders are always striving to do the best by those they lead. I’m glad to see that Magnus the Red is that kind of leader.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She sounds like a wise woman.” he replied</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She is.” Jean replied “So… there are other Space Marine legions?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” he replied “there are seventeen others, each led by one of the Crimson King’s brother Primarchs.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s quite the army,” she said “you could topple empires with that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We have,” he said with a smile “gradually, we are bringing the whole of humanity back under one banner, a united front against the dangers of the galaxy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see…” she said, and her aura, which had begun to lighten, was clouding again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You needn’t worry Acting Grandmaster,” he said “should we come across Teyvat, I’m sure we could come to a peaceful alliance with you and your people.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let us hope so…” she replied</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two of them walked in silence until they arrived at the Crimson King’s tent, pausing a moment as the two hulking automatons at the door affirmed their identities. Once they were given the all-clear, they entered together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ahriman looked around the room. His primarch was there of course, as were several captains, and the Primarch’s remembrancer. Standing in the center were the three young women, who perked up immediately when they noticed them enter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jean!” the three of them cried as they ran to her, The one in red nearly tackled her in a hug, and the girls wearing purple and blue were right behind her, all of them clinging to her like they hadn’t seen her in years.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Amber, Fischl, Barbara!” Jean said, a bright smile on her face “How are you? Are you okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re fine!” said the girl in red cheerfully “we were so worried about you though.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We thought you had been taken from this mortal coil, never to be seen again!” said the girl in purple</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m so happy you’re safe!” said the girl in blue, burying her head in Jean’s shoulder</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was worried about you three too,” Jean said “I’m glad you all made it here safely.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello Acting Grandmaster!” said the Primarch cheerfully “As you can see, we had no trouble at all tracking the three of them down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello, Primarch Magnus,” Jean replied, “thank you for bringing them back, I was very worried.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She walked forward, the three of them letting go, but still staying close.</span>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Fischl looked at Jean, she’d had doubts about their host, but the Acting Grandmaster was both alive and seemingly well cared for. They’d even healed her arm. She felt a bit bad for judging their host by his appearance. He seemed to be a kind, well-respected, and intelligent leader. She quietly thanked whichever Archons were watching over her and her companions that he was an understanding man.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve brought you here to finalize the terms of our agreement,” he said, and Fischl zoned out. She looked around the room. Among those assembled, everyone except for them was male. There was an older man who seemed to be taking notes on the meeting, as well as several military officials scattered around the room, all as shockingly tall and broad as the man who walked in with Jean. One of them, a rather handsome man with blonde hair, caught her gaze as she was looking, and she dropped her eyes. She decided instead to do a test, focusing on the man who had walked in with Jean. She drew three cards: Past, present, future.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The first was the tower in reverse. He’d told her that the reverse meant the opposite, so maybe that meant he’d had some kind of brush with disaster in the past that he’d avoided. He was some kind of military official, right? That made sense. The next was The Magician, which again, made sense. That card had something to do with… magical power maybe? Well, their whole thing was magic, right? So… that would make sense. The last card was… The Lovers again. He said that Lovers wasn’t necessarily about romantic relationships, so… Maybe it was a sign that he was going to be a big player in their alliance?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She took a quick glance at him. He was looking at Jean. She was looking at him too, saying something, what were they talking about?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“-conclusion, we help you with the study of our Visions, and you help us find a way to return home. During this time we’ll be staying with your legion as guests.” Jean said “I think that works perfectly well, don’t the two of you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Indeed” said their host, smiling “This way we both get the best out of the situation. Now, First Captain Ahriman shall show you where you’ll be staying.”</span>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once he was done, Ahriman left them to get settled, striding back towards the area of the camp where the Space Marines were housed. On his way back, Hathor Maat fell into step beside him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“First Captain,” he said “how are they settling in?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They only just got to their tents,” Ahriman replied “they haven’t had the time to properly settle.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are your impressions of them, then?” he asked</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re curious about the healer.” Ahriman said without looking over at him</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s a priestess,” he said, a note of trepidation in his voice “You’ve served under Lorgar, notice any similarities?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She lacks their zealotry, and overall seems to be a rather sweet young lady,” Ahriman replied, remembering his time with the 17th legion with disdain “I wish the Word Bearers were like her, it would have made serving alongside them a far easier task.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What about the girl that was fussing with the Tarot cards at the meeting?” he asked “I saw her looking at you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Her?” Ahriman said, glancing at his brother, attempting to find the most charitable way to describe the strange girl who would be his pupil “She’s… eccentric.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that all?” he returned his brother’s glance, a look of confusion on his face</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Everything of note, yes.” Ahriman said simply</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And what about the Pyrae?” His brother continued “Is she anything like Khalophis?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She lacks the aggression of a true Pyrae, but she makes up for it with a boundless reserve of courage and enthusiasm,” Ahriman said, remembering the way the girl had kept pace with his long strides without breaking a sweat, chatting cheerfully as if nothing were the matter at all “She had the courage to try attacking the Primarch after all. I think she will fit in perfectly well.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What about the Acting Grandmaster?” he said, and something subtle in his aura shifted</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s intelligent, courageous, and devoted to her people,” Ahriman said with a smile, “a fine example of a leader. Why do you ask about her? You were there when we brought her in.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you think I have a chance?” his brother asked, and Ahriman did a double take</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you asking me?” Ahriman asked, giving his brother a disapproving look “You know my feelings about those sorts of things.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve interacted with her the most out of all of us.” he replied nonchalantly</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That doesn’t mean I can judge whether she’d like you or not.” Ahriman replied “I’m not an Athanaean.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not either, but I could tell she likes you,” he replied, giving him a half-smirk “I’m sure everyone else could, too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you’re referring to that flush in her aura, it means nothing,” Ahriman said “I see it quite often, it’s a petty infatuation.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It could develop into something more if you didn’t rebuff it so vehemently.” he replied</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m too busy to bother with anything like that.” Ahriman said with a shake of his head</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I make time, there’s no reason you couldn’t either,” Hathor Maat replied “besides, it doesn’t have to be anything serious.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ve had this conversation before,” Ahriman huffed “Aren’t you glad to have less competition?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I merely wish you were more open to the possibility.” his brother replied</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have a duty to my Legion, and that comes before anything else.” Ahriman said, a note of annoyance in his voice</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Very well.” he replied,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When does Magnus wish for us to depart?” Ahriman asked, desperate for a change in subject</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s already left. He wants to go alone,” he replied “Did he not tell you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see…” Ahriman replied, somewhat disappointed “I shall remain alert, should he call us.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. The Brightest Star of the Constellation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Magnus tracks down the mystery person that is hiding in the mountains, but encounters something far different than what he expected. Upon his return to camp, he finds things have grown even more complicated.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Magnus stood, surveying the surrounding terrain. This was the area he’d determined would be easiest for someone to find shelter in, It was a mazelike complex of small canyons and the occasional cave a short distance up the mountain, likely created by mountain runoff. Whoever it was that was hiding up here, they were adept at concealing themselves both by magical and mundane means, but that hardly meant they were perfect. He’d found traces of them: A scrap of white fabric torn from their clothes, places where they’d attempted to conceal their tracks in muddy earth, and some branches taken off a scraggly bush too neatly to have been done by natural causes, no doubt to aid in erasing their tracks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was investigating the area further when he heard a shuffling sound some distance behind him. Turning, he saw nothing, but when he used his psychic sense, he saw the dim aura of a being hiding out of sight, so faint as to be almost nonexistent. He’d simply have written it off as some sort of creature, but it was… different somehow. As hazy as it appeared, he could still sense that it belonged to a sentient being.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know you’re there,” he said “you can come out, I won’t harm you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was no response, and he slowly began to move towards the fork in the canyon where the being hid.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s alright,” he continued “I want to help you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he got closer, he heard more noises, softer ones, as if whatever was there was now trying to creep away. He stopped, not wanting them to run.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, are you hungry?” he asked “I have food. You’ve been up here a few days, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He heard the crunching sound of someone breaking into a run, and he ran around the corner after them. Shockingly, they were already gone by the time he got there. A small, icy blue flower spun on the ground in their wake. He ignored it, following the sound down a branching path. They were unusually fast, but not fast enough to outpace him. The sound of feet on gravel began to come closer and closer, and when he rounded another corner, he could see them. It was a woman, human in appearance, though she ran so quickly it made him doubt that.  Reaching out with his psychic powers, he caught her mid-stride. She shrieked and began to squirm as he lifted her, struggling uselessly against the force of his power. One he reached her, he set her back down again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you alright?” he said</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She said nothing, trembling and looking everywhere but at him. She was small and rather dainty-looking, with long blue hair and black and red horns, or perhaps they were some sort of headpiece that looked like horns. She wore a scuffed and dirty black bodysuit and an equally scruffy white and gold dress overtop. He was somewhat shocked to realize she’d outrun him in a pair of heeled shoes, ones that seemed more suited to city travel than anything else.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No need to be frightened,” he said, leaning down closer to her “It’s okay, I don’t mean you any harm.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are-” she said, stuttering and tripping over her words “You are- You- What are you!?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am a primarch,” he said soothingly, looking for any sign that she might try to run again. “I understand I must look quite frightening, but I don’t mean you any harm, miss...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ganyu.” she said, shuffling away from him slightly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re from Teyvat, correct?” he asked, giving her a gentle smile</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“H-how did you know that!?” she squeaked, shuffling away again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve run into several other people from Teyvat,” he said, “I’m helping them too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who else have you found?” she asked, she didn’t back away this time, which was an improvement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Four young ladies from Mondstadt,” he replied “including their Acting Grandmaster, Jean Gunnhildr.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t say anything, but he could sense that she knew the Acting Grandmaster, at the very least.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anyone... else?” she asked, looking directly at him for the first time. Her eyes were a brilliant shade of fuschia, so bright it was almost shocking. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Noone besides you and your familiar.” he replied</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Familiar?” she said, staring at him with a blank expression</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, I could see two souls up here the other day,” he replied “a human, which would be you, and some sort of magical animal.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the space of a second, her whole body tensed and then relaxed, her eyes darting before settling on him again. She looked at him, a fake-blank expression on her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure you weren’t mistaken?” she said “I don’t... have any animals with me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, well, I suppose it’s a possibility,” he said, offering her a hand “Come with me, you’ll be well taken care of while we work out how to get you home.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I still don’t trust you,” she said, taking another step away from him “I know nothing about you, not your name, not your allegiances, nor your intentions with me. I cannot accept your help until I feel I can trust you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am Magnus the Red, the Crimson King, Primarch of the Fifteenth Legion: The Thousand Sons. As for my motive, you could call it… scholarly curiosity,” he said “I’m curious as to how you five came to be here, and the way you do magic, which is vastly different from the methods I am used to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stared at him with suspicion for a few moments, before offering a hand</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am Ganyu, emissary and secretary of the Liyue Qixing,” she said “Would you be interested in making a contract with us?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course,” he replied, taking her delicate hand in his “I would be honored, Miss Ganyu.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good,” she said, dropping his hand “allow me to fetch my lady, and then we shall be on our way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your lady?” He hadn’t sensed anyone else up here, just her and that creature. Could her “lady” be…?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Ganyu replied, turning away from him “We were stranded here together, she’s hiding in a cave some distance away from here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is she using magic to conceal herself?” he asked “I didn’t sense any other humans up here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been using magic to hide the both of us since we noticed your approach.” she said as she walked away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Magnus stared at her a moment. Her magic was quite powerful, to be able to hide as much as she did. He had thought Teyvatan magic was strictly elemental in nature, with small, incidental secondary abilities, but already she seemed to be quite different. He would have to keep a close eye on her, during his studies... </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see,” he said, “you’ve done an excellent job, I don’t think I would have noticed you had you not almost run into me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?” she said thoughtfully “I was thinking I was somewhat rusty…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rusty?” he asked, hoping to prompt her into saying more</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“D-don’t worry about it,” she stuttered, waving her hands in a dismissive way “I was just… talking to myself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They walked together for a while, travelling deeper within the maze of cracked earth. She and her Lady have been out here for several days, and yet she, at least, seemed well-fed. He hadn’t seen any fires coming from the mountains, so what had they been eating?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ganyu ducked into a cave too small for him to enter, and after a few minutes came out with another woman. Despite obviously being more affected by their time in the mountains, she still carried herself with a strong sense of grace and nobility. She was extremely beautiful, with ruby-red eyes and long cream-colored hair. Her white and gold dress was dirty and torn. It was sleeveless, and had two long slits that went up the majority of her legs. She was probably quite cold, and hungry as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Greetings,” she said “I am Ningguang, Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing. I understand you would like to enter a contract with us?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I would indeed.” he replied, noting with interest that she, unlike Ganyu, seemed hardly intimidated by him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We shall need to draw one up,” Ningguang said “due to our… situation, we don’t have paper or any writing implements.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I shall ensure that you have everything you require,” he replied “it is a bit of a long way back to the base, but once we’re there we should be more than prepared to begin negotiations.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you for hosting us,” Ningguang said gracefully “I am sure we shall have a wonderful partnership.”</span>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>The journey back took as long as Magnus expected, about a day and a half, adjusted to their walking pace. During the trip, Ganyu had dropped her protection over Tianquan Ningguang, but kept her own self tightly warded, doubtless so he couldn’t pry. He had no intention of doing so… yet. Over the course of the trip, and the sparse conversations he’d had, he learned a bit more about them. They were from a country called Liyue, of which Tianquan Ningguang is the head of state. Liyue is a country that shares a border with Mondstadt, and while the two hadn’t met in person, Ningguang is well aware of Acting Grandmaster Gunnhildr and harbors a deep respect for her. Ganyu had been serving as Ningguang’s secretary since she had been granted the title, and had served under the previous Tianquan as well. Unlike their counterparts, the two seemed to have a relatively hierarchical relationship with one another, and on the whole treated him far more formally as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When they arrived at camp, he had one of his captains set up the two with accommodations and supplies, and called Ahriman to brief him on any important things that had happened in his absence. When he arrived, his aura was cloudy and he seemed almost apprehensive. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My son, what is wrong?” Magnus asked, turning to his First Captain</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s the third, fourth, and sixth legions,” Ahriman replied, “We’ve been called to bolster their forces. They’ve encountered a group of systems that have allied, and they’re putting up a much bigger fight than anticipated.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When did you receive word from them?” Magnus asked, looking at Ahriman.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This morning,” Ahriman replied, looking up at his Primarch “before you returned. We elected to wait until you were back to inform you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see…” Magnus said</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are your orders?” Ahriman asked</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He paused. Normally he would be content to let one of his brother-primarchs wait until he’d finished his business, but he hadn’t seen Perturabo for a very long time, not since… he pushed the unpleasant memory from his mind, and turned back to Ahriman.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We shall leave as soon as we’re able,” Magnus decided “it wouldn’t be wise to keep my brothers waiting, especially given the situation they’re in.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course, my Primarch.” Ahriman said, “I shall begin the preparations. Should I inform our newest guests of the situation?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Magnus replied “we shall depart as soon as negotiations with them have finished.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ahriman left, leaving him alone in his pavilion once again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He would have to tread carefully once he got there. As close as he was with Perturabo he knew his brother disliked his magic-related studies, and Fulgrim always avoided giving his opinion on the matter in a way that was more telling than anything he said. If either of them find out too much about what he’s doing it could put his guests at risk, as well as himself. It was entirely likely that they wouldn’t end up crossing paths with the legions themselves too often, but he needed to find a way to hide them in plain sight…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He mulled it over as he went about his day, arranging and overseeing their departure. It was still on his mind that night, when he heard the guards at his pavilion admit a visitor. It was Ganyu, carrying a rather thick stack of papers. She’d changed clothes, and was now wearing a simple grey dress. The color and style suited her, he thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, now is probably not a good time, given you’re making preparations to leave,” she said nervously “but… Lady Ningguang has completed the contract.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Miss Ganyu,” he said, taking the stack of papers from her “I hope you have everything you need.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh yes,” Ganyu replied “We’ve had more than enough of everything, thank you for your generosity.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked down at the contract, which seemed to be handwritten in delicate, neat script. He hadn’t expected them to finish it that day, especially given their general level of tech illiteracy, something he would have to remedy as soon as possible.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did… she write this by hand?” he asked, looking back up at Ganyu.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh of course not,” she replied, “It’s not customary for the Tianquan to do any writing herself, unless it’s a very important document indeed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He gave a slight nod, they must have roped some of the chapter serfs into putting this together somehow, not that he was complaining. The faster this was settled, the sooner he could see Perturabo… </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Normally, there’d be an entire team working on something like this,” she continued, “but given the circumstances… I had to do it myself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Magnus’ head whipped to look at her, and she jumped slightly. He leafed through the pages, all fifty of them, and looked at Ganyu again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sir…?” she said, looking up at him, an unnatural stillness coming over her</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s nothing,” he said “I’m just… surprised you finished so quickly, working alone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s really nothing to be shocked over,” she replied, relaxing somewhat “I’m just doing my job.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see…” he said, he had more pressing things to get to, he could investigate her preternatural working speed another time. “Thank you for bringing it over so promptly. I’ll review this tonight and let you know if I have anything I’d like to negotiate further on.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course, sir,” she replied, giving him a slight bow “If you have no other questions, I shall take my leave.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have no further questions,” he said “thank you, Miss Ganyu.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned and left, leaving him once again alone in his pavilion. He skimmed the document, leafing through the pages nonchalantly. It was extremely thorough, covering every aspect of their potential alliance down to the finest detail, with zero chances for him and his men to wiggle out of their obligations, not that Magnus had any intention of doing so. He wondered how such a rigid and fastidious nation had managed to ally itself with Mondstadt, given the extremely basic document he and Acting Grandmaster Gunnhildr had written up over the course of a few hours, outlining each party’s obligations in general detail, but leaving quite a bit to the spirit of the law rather than the letter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In any case, he could see nothing he objected to at the moment, but he’d give it a more thorough look later. For now, there were more pressing matters he had to attend to.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 7... 2!<br/>There were a few things some people pointed out that were bothering me, and eventually I just said fuck it and did a slight rewrite to smooth out the rough spots. Enjoy!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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